AMERICAN ROUTES
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté June 7th, 2023 (Hour 1)
Blues and Jazz, African Roots and Branches with Shemekia Copeland and Balla Koutaté

It’s Blueswomen, Jazzmen, African roots and branches. Chicago blues singer Shemekia Copeland‘s father, the late blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, brought her into his music as a child. As an adult, she found new ways to use blues to express her perspective. We’ll hear from some of Shemekia’s heroes including Etta James, Ruth Brown, Alberta Hunter and Big Mama Thornton. Then a conversation and performance by Boston-based Mandinka balafon player Balla Kouyaté and music inspired by and from the continent of Africa from Randy Weston, Miriam Makeba and the Modern Jazz Quartet.

Shemekia Copeland photo by Mike White

  • Info
  • ABOUT
  • BEST OF
  • UPCOMING
  • ARCHIVE
  • SUPPORT
  • JOURNAL
  • STATIONS
  • MEDIA KIT
  • INDEX
  • STAFF
  • CONTACT
BROWSE BY DATE
  • 2023
  • 2022
  • 2021
  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009
  • 2008
  • 2007
  • 2006
  • 2005
  • 2004
  • 2003
  • 2002
  • 2001
  • 2000
  • 1999
  • 1998

SUPPORT GREAT STORYTELLING

We rely on your support to remain on air and online. Your contribution helps us bring you interviews with great American artists and the carefully curated music mix that you’ve enjoyed over the years.

Donate

 

AMERICAN ROUTES ON INSTAGRAM

WHO WAS HARRY SMITH?: THE GREAT DELINEATOR AND HIS ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC

July 21st, 2021

Who was Harry Smith? The short answer about the 20th century polymath and hustler might be divined in his legendary 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, an LP collection of mostly Southern US folk songs from 78rpm records. “The Anthology” established a cult of listening and influenced popular and folk revival artists from John Sebastian and the New Lost City Ramblers to rockers like Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and Beck. We’ll talk with Smith biographer John Szwed about Harry’s life as an artist, record collector and 1950’s bohemian. Then, old and new covers of the Anthology and its B-sides from Gillian Welch, Bob Dylan, Gatemouth Brown and Amythyst Kiah.

  • Listen to Hour One
  • Listen to Hour Two

HOUR ONE

  • Open Bed: Sail Away Ladies Uncle Bunt Stephens
    Anthology of American Folk Music, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Down on Penny's Farm The Bently Boys
    Anthology of American Folk Music Volume One, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Down on Penny's Farm Natalie Merchant
    The House Carpenter's Daughter, Myth America Records
  • Segment: Who is Harry Smith?

    Listen
  • Instrumental: Memphis Shakedown Memphis Jug Band
    The Cornshucker's Frolic: Classic Recordings From the 1920's & 30's, Vol. 2, Yazoo
  • Segment: Record Collecting and the Anthology of American Folk Music

    Listen
  • New New Minglewood Blues Grateful Dead
    Grateful Dead, Warner
  • Last Fair Deal Gone Down Beck
    The Harry Smith Project Live, Craft
  • Instrumental: Dallas Rag New Lost City Ramblers
    The Early Years, 1958-1962, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Segment: Harry Smith’s reflections

    Listen
  • John Hardy was a Desperate Little Man Carter Family
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • John Hardy Alvin Youngblood Hart
    Territory, Rykodisc
  • Segment: Harry Smith’s legacy

    Listen
  • End Bed: The Moonshiner's Dance Part Two Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital

HOUR two

  • Open Bed: Stackalee Frank Hutchison (Instrumental Version)
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Spike Driver Blues Mississippi John Hurt
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 3, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Spike Driver Blues Marianne Faithful
    The Harry Smith Project Live, Craft
  • Poor Boy Long Way from Home Bukka White
    The Sonet Blues Story, Universal
  • Poor Boy Long Way from Home Black Keys
    Delta Kream, Nonesuch
  • When That Great Ship Went Down The Dixieaires
    The Greatest Spirituals: Vol. 2-1946-1951, Time
  • Instrumental: Charles Giteau Norman Blake
    Songs of the Hills: Appalachian Classics, Shanachie
  • Charles Giteau Kelly Harrel
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Bandit Cole Younger Edward Crain
    Anthology of American Folk Music Vol 1, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Outlaw Blues Bob Dylan
    Bringing It All Back Home, Columbia
  • I Heard the Voice of a Pork Chop Jim Jackson
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Fifty Miles of Elbow Room Gillian Welch, David Rawlings & James Alan Shelton
    Song for Greta, Rebel Records
  • Bayou Teche Columbus Fruge
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Instrumental: La Danseuse Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard
    Anthology of American Folk Music Volume 2, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Storms are on the Ocean Doc Watson & Jean Ritchie
    Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson at Folk City, Smithsonian Folkways
  • Darling Corey Amythyst Kiah
    Dig, Amythyst Kiah
  • Bull-Doze Blues Henry Thomas
    The Harry Smith B-Sides, Dust to Digital
  • Goin' Up Country Canned Heat
    Canned Heat—On the Road Again, Capitol
  • Royal Telephone Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Marie Knight
    The Decca Singles, Vol. 4, UMG
  • See That My Grave is Kept Clean Gatemouth Brown and Los Super Seven
    Heard It On the X, Telarc
  • End Bed: Sugar Baby Bill Frisell
    The Best of Bill Frisell, Volume 1: Folk Songs, Nonesuch

THE LATEST STREAMS

  • June 7th, 2023

    BLUES AND JAZZ, AFRICAN ROOTS AND BRANCHES WITH SHEMEKIA COPELAND AND BALLA KOUTATé

    Listen
  • May 31st, 2023

    PIANO PEOPLE AND MORE: JASON MORAN & HEATH ALLEN

    Listen
  • May 24th, 2023

    MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE 2022 NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS

    Listen
A|R

  • Donate
A|R AMERICAN ROUTES
  • ABOUT
  • BEST OF
  • ARCHIVE
  • UPCOMING
  • SUPPORT US
  • JOURNAL
  • STATIONS
  • STAFF
  • CONTACT
  • Tulane University
  • NEA
  • PRX
  • New Orleans Tourism and Cultural Fund
  • Jim Hart